Jerry Woods and Scott Conger will face off in the first runoff for the Jackson mayoral seat in 48 years.(Photo: Kenneth Cummings/The Jackson Sun)

Grassroots support

In hindsight it's no coincidence that the two candidates who raised the most through small dollar donations made it to the runoff.

On each financial disclosure form, candidates have to itemize contributions of $100 or more. When they receive less than that, they don't have to specify who donated. These donations can be a sign of grassroots support.

Woods raised $10,893 through this method, while Conger raised $6,750 through small donations.

"This is a grassroots campaign," Woods said. "We started out with this theme that there is a place for everyone in this campaign if they want to be a part of it."

The Woods and Conger campaigns spent numerous hours engaging with voters through direct action, not just through campaign advertisements and the traditional forums.

Woods' campaign was known for organizing numerous community forums around the city, where he was able to grow his grassroots base.

Conger was known for hosting monthly town halls and using his social media presence to talk to voters about issues and encourage them to vote.

"We're going to have to increase [our ground game] including people, sending postcards and getting that personal touch," Conger said. "People don't respond to just the boilerplate. You have to personalize it."

Appealing to Eldridge, Johnstone and Foote voters

With no candidate receiving more than even 35% of the votes, the candidates will be challenged with not just replicating or increasing their base voters' turnout, but will have to appeal to voters who didn't choose them the first time.

"All (the other candidates) have good points," Conger said. "Utilizing networks that Jimmy Eldridge had, the strengths-based assessments that Mark (Johnstone) talked about and combating addiction that Dr. (Vicky) Foote talked about.

"All of them had several points that they talked about, but those are three that stick out in my mind. It would be foolish for either one of us not to utilize the other three that have brought so much to the table so far."

Eldridge, Johnstone and Foote combined for 4,265 votes, or 38.3%. Eldridge and Johnstone combined for 35.93% of the vote and were the only two known Republicans in the race.

Eldridge was the Republican state representative in Madison County until last year, when he chose to run for mayor instead of running for reelection. Johnstone is a former chairman of the Madison County Republican Party and chairman of the Madison County Commission.

Both ran more conservative campaigns focused on their business backgrounds and government experience.

“Certainly I would like to speak to some of the individuals who didn’t vote for us this time to seriously look at my campaign," Woods said. "We have a lot of leadership we can bring.

“I think some of those basic down-home American values can bring people to our campaign.”

Of the two candidates left, Conger has the most government experience, having served on the city council from 2011 to 2017. Woods, however, has experience running a government entity as superintendent of schools in Covington, Clinton and Forrest City, Arkansas.

What's next

The runoff election between Woods and Conger is June 18. Early voting for that election starts May 29 and runs through June 14.

Early voting will take place at the Madison County Election Commission at 311 N. Parkway. Voting hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday.

The unofficial vote

**winners in bold**

Scott Conger

3,802 (34.14%)

Jerry Woods

3,069 (27.56%)

Jimmy Eldridge

2,808 (25.22%)

Mark Johnstone

1,193 (10.71%)

Vicky Foote

264 (2.37%)

City Council, District 1

Gary Pickens

795

City Council, District 2

Marshall Brooks

244

Johnny Lee Dodd (I)

455

Andrea Givens-Moore

127

City Council, District 3

Ernest T. Brooks II (I)

632

Robert Curlin

348

Shelia L. Godwin

190

City Council, District 4

Harvey Buchanan (I)

364

Andre Darnell

249

City Council, District 5

Ross Priddy (I)

706

Mary Stewart

421

City Council, District 6

Jerome Cephus III

193

Mike Hatchett

366

Paul Taylor

964

City Council, District 7

Jeffrey S. Howell

185

Kurt L. Mullen

154

Robert G. Spencer

171

Tracie A. Walker

232

Marda Phelps Wallace

972

City Council, District 8

Russ McKelvey

1,190

City Council, District 9

David Cisco, (I)

897

Christiana Gallagher

524

Reach Adam Friedman by email at afriedman@jacksonsun.com, by phone at 731-431-8517 or follow him on Twitter @friedmanadam5.